Tiger To Prowl Bay Hill Once Again

"Certain courses fit your eye, and this is one of them," said Woods, 36, who now lives in Jupiter, Florida. "I can see my lines on the greens and the fairways set up well for shaping my shots. I've always enjoyed playing there."

The 2012 edition of the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard is scheduled for March 19 - 25 with Martin Laird defending his title against what is shaping up to be a strong field.

Winner of 71 PGA TOUR titles, including 14 majors, Woods has made regular visits to the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard since he turned professional. And, of course, he's enjoyed tremendous success on the Championship Course, winning four straight titles from 2000-03 and another two in 2008-09. Woods, who has made 14 previous starts at Bay Hill, finished tied for 24th a year ago.

"I'll be happy to see Tiger here," Palmer said. "It will be a good thing just to see him playing here and playing well. He's been a great supporter of this tournament and a great competitor here."

The Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard represents one of six tournaments that Woods has won at least four times in his career. The others: BMW Championship, Buick Invitational, Masters, WGC-Bridgestone Championship and WGC-American Express Championship.

Woods is coming off a tie for second in the Honda Classic, where his charge up the leaderboard with a closing 62 came up just short against new No. 1 player in the world Rory McIlroy. Nevertheless, Woods, in the process of rebuilding his swing and confidence, moved up five spots to 16th in the world after losing a lot of points last year as he sat out several months due to knee and Achilles injuries.

"I just have to stick with the process, and it's coming. Each tournament, it's getting better," Woods said. "I'm hitting more good shots, more quality misses. They are not what they used to be. Each tournament I've progressed, I've gotten better. And it's just a matter of time before I put it all together for an entire tournament."

It might well be at the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard, where he has put it together plenty of times before. But there is always more than just the competition that is an important part of tournament week. "It all starts with Arnold. Seeing him on the golf course and in the clubhouse makes it special for the players and the fans," Woods said. "Unfortunately I don't get to talk to Arnold much, but I know I'll get to see him at Bay Hill. I admired Arnold and Jack growing up, and I always enjoy spending time with him. Now that I moved, it will be good seeing some friends. The fans at Bay Hill are great. They've supported me for a lot of years and I appreciate it."

For tickets to the 2012 Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard or for more information, visit the tournament website, www.arnoldpalmerinvitational.com, or call the Bay Hill Club ticket office at 407-876-7774 or toll free at 1-866-764-4843. Proceeds from the tournament benefit Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies.